London, Oct 30 Batsman Jonathan Trott has rejected claims made by former captain Michael Vaughan that he was celebrating with South African players after England lost in 2008.

Trott insisted he was just chatting with spin bowler and old friend Paul Harris minutes after South Africa's Test win at Edgbaston.

Vaughan walked past at that moment and has now written in his autobiography that Trott was celebrating with opposition players and patting them on the back, The Sun reports.

The claims of divided allegiance are the last thing Cape Town-born Trott needs days before he flies to South Africa for his first big tour with England.

Trott, whose father is English, explained: "Warwickshire finished a game at Leicester and myself, Neil Carter and Allan Donald raced back to Edgbaston because the Test looked like being a close finish.

"We were standing between the changing rooms when both teams were on the field at the end. I've known Paul Harris since I was 16 and we played together at Warwickshire. I just said something like, 'Cheers, well done on your victory.'

"That was it. There was no high-fives or anything like that. I knew I wouldn't be seeing Paul again that summer because he wasn't in the one-day squad so I wanted to wish him well. In fact, I've not seen him since," he said.

"But Michael Vaughan walked past at the same time to go to his Press conference. It was a misunderstanding, an unfortunate situation. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I respect Michael. I would never behave like that against the team I was trying to play for at the time - and now have the chance to play for. Allan Donald went into the South African changing room but I didn't go anywhere near," the paper quoted Trott, as saying.

"A big thing for me in cricket is to play hard on the field and be friends off it. But it's unfortunate this has come out a few days before we leave on tour," he added.

Trott, 28, is certain to get a verbal backlash when he returns to the country of his birth this winter, The Sun reports. (ANI)